Gas valves



Dec. 5, 1961 .1. WILTZ 3,011,721

GAS VALVES Filed July 21, 1 959 4 SheetsSheet 1 Dec. 5, 1961 J. L. 'WILTZ 3,011,721

GAS VALVES Filed July 21, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 5, 1961 J. L. WILTZ 3,011,721

GAS VALVES Filed July 21, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent Ofifice 3,011,721 Patented Dec. 5, 1961 The present invention relates to gas valves and has for its primary object the provision of a new and improved locking type of gas valve and is an improvement over the construction disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Richard O. Ives, filed contemporaneously herewith and assigned to the assignee of this application.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved thermostatic gas valve in which a ingle handle and valve stem are used both to control the open position of the valve and the temperature setting to be maintained by the valve.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved valve of the character set forth in the preceding paragraph in which the gas flow controlling valve element is connected to the handle and stem by dis engageable clutch means and including new and improved abutment means for requiring the how controlling element to be rotated a predetermined angular extent before the clutch means can be disengaged when the valve is being turned from the ofi position toward on but which can be rotated in the opposite direction (toward off) with the clutch means disengaged to within the angular extent and, preferably, all the way to the olf position.

In brief, the valve of the present invention is of the locking type. It includes a rotatable gas flow controlling element mounted in a housing. The element is adapted to be rotated by valve stem means extending outside of the housing and which is both rotatable and axially movable relative to the housing. The stem means and element are connected by means enabling the element to be rotated by the stem means. The rotatable gas flow controlling element and stem means are connected by disengageable clutch means so that a thermostatic control ele ment'can be adjusted independently of the gas flow controlling element upon rotation of the stem means subsequent to disengagement of the clutch means. The valve is so constructed and arranged that the disengagement cannot be effected until after the stem means and flow controlling element have been rotated a predetermined angular extent from off toward on position, thereby insuring at least a minimum gas flow before independent adjustment of the temperature to be maintained. This means includes cooperating abutments on the valve stem means and the housing which are in abutting relation and prevent axial movement of the valve stem means to effect declutching until the abutments become angularly displaced. After declutching, the thermostatic valve is ad justed independently of the setting of the gas flow controlling element. It sometimes happens, though, that undesired frictional forces effect movement of the control element toward off position when the stem means is thus turned toward olf. This may move the element enough so that the clutch means might not be reengageable because of the abutments. In accordance with the present invention, one of the abutments is made to be a movable one andso arranged that as the valve is moved toward oif position it is moved so as not to prevent axial or angular movement of the stem means. Accordingly, reengagement of the clutch means can be efifected anywhere in the range of movement of the gas flow controlling element. More specifically, the movable abutment may be a resilient or resiliently biased radially movable abutment on thevalve stem means, which, on movement of the latter toward off, is depressed into the stem means by the other abutment means, which may be a part of the valve housing.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, in the course of which reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a valve constructed in accordance with the present invention, with thevalve and thermostat actuating handle omitted, and with the valve in an intermediate open position;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the front end of the valve with the valve handle and associated bezel illustrated;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the valve as illustrated in FIG. 1, but with the valve in its ofi position;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged axial cross sectional view through the valve taken along the broken line 4-4 of FIG. 2 with the valve in an intermediate open position, and with the valve handle and stem means clutched to the gas flow controlling element;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary axial cross sectional view along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2 illustrating the operative position of various operating parts when the valve is locked in its off position;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIGS. 5 and 6, but with the valve unlocked in its off position ready to be turned toward on;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are views similar to FIGS. 5 and 6 but along the line 44 of FIG. 2, with the valve unlocked, with the valve handle and stem means declutched from the gas flow controlling means in an intermediate position of the latter, and with a different temperature adplstment;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 with the valve handle and stem means declutched but with the valve in a position toward off and showing one of the abutment means depressed and thus ineffective to prevent either angular or axial movement of the stem means;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary axial cross sectional view of another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 13 is a transverse cross sectional view taken'along the line 13-13 of FIG. 12.

Referring now to the drawings and first primarily to FIGS. 1 to 4, the valve of the present invention is indicated as a whole by reference ch acter 10. It is adapted to be mounted upon and supplied with gas from a gas supply manifold 12, the mounting being efiected by an externally threaded dependent nipple 14 within which is a gas inlet passageway 16. The valve includes, in the main, a valve body 23 within which is a chamber 22 (see FIG. 4) in which is mounted a thermostatically actuated regulating valve indicated as a whole by reference character 24 controlling the flow of gas from a manually operable valve 25 including a rotary gas flow controlling valve element shown to be a rotor valve disc 28. The disc is adapted to be adjusted by a handle 30 which is also utilized to select the temperature to be maintained. The valve and operating means may take various forms, that illustrated being of the type disclosed and claimed in the copending applications of Wiberg (case 2) Serial Number 817,519, filed June 2, 1959, and of Norman M. Hui-f, Serial Number 817,518, filed June 2, 1959, and both assigned to the assignee of this application. Accordingly, the valve will not be described in detail, but only suificiently to provide a better understanding of the invention which, as indicated heretofore, is directed to improved valve locking means and improved means making it necessary to move the valve handle and gas flow controlling element a certain amount before the gas controlling element can be declutched, in which respect the .means.

, shaft and stem means.

' present application is directed to improvement in apparatus disclosed and claimed in the contemporaneously filed application of Richard O. Ives, Serial No. 828,600.

The thermostatic valve 24 includes a relatively stationary valve seat 32 adapted to be moved axially for calibration purposes, as by a rotatable calibrating screw 34. The valve includes also a movable valve member 36 biased away from the valve seat by a spring 38 and the position of which is varied by thermostatic actuating The position is varied as by a bimetallic lever 40 having one end 42 associated with the valve 36 and its other end 44 operatively associated with the rotatable axially movable shaft 46 having an intermediate threaded portion 48 movable by the valve handle 3% to vary the temperatureto be maintained by the valve. The position of the lever and, thus, of the valve member 36 is controlled by a thermostatically actuated power device 50 which may be of the diaphragm type and connected as by a capillary tube 52 to a suitable sensing unit (not shown) which may include a thermostatic capsule maintained in contact with the bottom of a cooking vessel placed on a burner to which the flow of gas is controlled by the valve 10. For convenience, the thermostatic motor 50may be mounted upon an end plate 54 closing the recess 22 and supporting also an outlet hood 56 communicating with a gas outlet passageway 58 and through which gas flows to'the burner in conventional manner.

The flow of gas to the thermostatic valve is controlled by the manually operable rotatable rotor disc 28 which has a planar face 60 abutting against a planar face 62 formed on the valve body. The body and disc may be provided with suitable passageways interconnecting the passageway 16 and the recess 22 via the thermostatically operated regulating valve 24. The passageways may be such that they enable the valve disc 28 to be moved betweenoif and full on positions to provide a manually regulatable flow of gas to the burner as between a low flame setting 64 and a high flame setting 66 indicated on the valve handle (see FIG. 2) 'in cooperation with an indicating dot 68 on a bezel 70 associated with the valve handle and mounted upon a bezel'mounting tube 71 secured to the valve and having slots 71A for receiving tongues 70A of the bezel. The 05 position of the valve is indicated by a radial boss 72 on the handle when it is under the dot. In FIGS, 1 and 4 the valve is shown at an intermediate position to provide an intermediate height flame. In this position, gas flows from the inlet passageway 16 to the portion 16A thereof opening at the The rotor valve disc 28 is mounted in a housing or V to -.the valve body by suitable means such as screw bolts 86.

The valve handle 30 is connected to the rotor valve disc 28 by valve stem means 90 and clutch means 92 whereby the rotor disc may be turned by or declutched from the valve stem means. The valve stem means 90 includes an outer stem portion 93 of. generally D-shaped configuration provided by a flat 94 and upon which the handle 30 is secured. It includes also a hollow inner. somewhat enlarged portion 96 having slots 98 therein and connected to the valve regulating shaft 46 through a pin .100 at the end of the shaft, the pin and slot connection permitting relative axial movement between the The stem means is constructed as an assembly including also a drive washer 102 fixedly secured to the inner end of stem portion 96 as by peening 104 and having radially inwardly extending keys 106 extending into opposed slots 98.

The clutch means 92 includes the diametrically opposed forwardly extending drive projections or fingers 108 on the drive washer and the central generally annular portion 110 of the drive yoke 112. The portion 110 has apertures 113 adapted to receive projections 108 in the clutch engaged condition. The yoke has opposed rearwardly extending drive fingers 114 extending into oppositely disposed slots 116 in the rotor disc 28.

The drive yoke is rotatably mounted within the housing 78 as upon a tubular bearing element 120 fixedly secured within the smaller diameter forward extension 82 of the housing. The element 120 has opposed outwardly extending front and rear flanges 122 and 124, the former of which abuts against the major portion of the front end of housing part 82 and the latter of which abuts against a shoulder 126 provided by counter-boring at the region of the central opening in the drive washer 102.

In order to preventrundesired rotation of the yoke and valve disc after disengagement of the clutch means, braking means in the form of a spring 130 is provided fn'ctionally to restrain movement of the drive yoke, as described and claimed in the aforementioned Huff application, Serial Number 817,518. The spring 130 is disposed about the tubular bearing element 120 and between the annular part 110 of the drive disc and the vertical part 84- of the housing 78. The braking spring is constructed to have a concave-convex shape before assembly, thereby to provide an effective frictional force for restraint of movement of the yoke and valve disc when the latterare declutched from the stem means.

The valve disc 28 is held against the valve body and the stem assembly is held in its axially outermost position by a spring 132, one end of which is seated against the outer surface of the valve disc and the other of which bears against the inside of the drive washer 102, the contact between the spring and drive washer being through an annular spring guide and seat 134.

In the off position of the valve illustrated in FIG. '5, the stem assembly and valve handle are drivingly connected to the valve disc 28 through the drive washer, the drive yoke and the engaged clutch means, the engagement being effected by disposition of the drive washer fingers 108 in the apertures 1113 of the yoke 11 2. To declutch or disengage the drive washer from the drive yoke, the valve handle and stem are moved axially inwardly against the force of the spring 132, thereby to disengage the drive projections 108 on the drive Washer from the yoke, as shown in FIG. 9. After such disgengagernent, the valve and stem assembly can be turned independently of the rotor'disc valve 28 so that rotation of the handle turns only shaft 46 to adjust the temperature setting of the valve.

The valve is provided with improved locking means so that the valve handle and disc cannot be turned until it has been pushed inwardly axially a predetermined dis tance. This locking means comprises a pair of abutting surfaces on the valve stem means and housing. The two surfaces are a flat on the housing'and a flat 142 on the stem. As indicated, see FIGS. 5 and 6, the fiat 140 on the housing is provided by a radially inwardly extending integral portion 144 of the housing and of which the flat 140 is a chordal surface of the opening therein through which the stem 90 extends. The flat 14-2 on the stem is simply a milled flat effectively on the largerpdiameter portion 96 of the stern. Viewing particularly FIGS. 5 and 6, it will be noted that the surfaces 140 and 142 are in abutting relation so that the handle, the stem assembly and the valve disc cannot be turned. 0

To unlock the valve, the handle and stem assembly are pushed inwardly from the position of FIG. 5 to the position of FIG. 7. The axial length of the flat 142 on the stem is about the thickness of or slightly wider than the thickness of portion 144 of the housing so that when the stem assembly is pushed inwardly to the position of FIG. 7 the stem assembly can be turned.

The valve is so arranged that the handle and stem assembly cannot be declutched from the rotor valve disc 28 until after former has been turned to a predetermined angular extent as of about 40 degrees, which is substantially less than the movement of disc 28 from off to on position. To accomplish this, cooperating abutment means are provided on the housing and stem assembly limiting axial movement of the stem assembly in the limited'angular region so that declutching cannot be effected. Referring now particularly to FIGS. 7 and 8, the abutment means on the housing is constituted by the downwardly extending portion 144 of the housing and an abutment '152 mounted in the smaller diameter portion 93 of the stem. The abutment i152, as shown in FIG. 7, is so located that it engages abutment 144 and prevents inward movement of the stem assembly sulficient to declutch the drive washer from the drive yoke. From FIG. 7 it will be noted that abutment 152 is in engagement with abutment 144 and the drive fingers 108 are in the apertures 113 in the drive yoke, thereby to drivingly couple the drive washer and the yoke.

The declutching is permitted after the stem assembly and valve disc have moved a predetermined amount. This 'is accomplished by making the portion 144 of the housing of chordal construction. .Thus, referring now to FIGS. 9 and l0,' after the valve handle and stem assembly have been-rotated so the abutment 152 moves angularly away from abutment #144, then the valve handle', stemassembly and drive washer 102 can be moved inwardly to declutch the drive washer from the drive yoke, as shown in FIG. 9. When declutched, the drive fingers 108 engage the rear surface of the drive washer and are no longer in effective driving engagement therewith.

It should be noted that the feature of preventing declutching of the handle and stem from the valve disc until the latter has been turned a predetermined extent can be utilized independently of the locking means. This can be accomplished by replacing the locking flat 142 with an annular step. When this change in construction is made, the valve handle and stem still have to be turned a predetermined extent before declutching can be eifected.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the abutment 152 is rendered ineffective to prevent either axial or angular movement of the stem assembly upon return movement toward all position. To accomplish this the abutment is made effectively resilient. In the embodiment presently being described, this is done by mounting the abutment movably in the stem and biasing it outwardly by spring means 154. The abutment includes an enlarged head 156 confined in an opening 158 in the stem and against. which the spring bears. The spring is'confined as by a lip 160 surrounding the opening 158. Thus, as the valve stem is moved toward oil, as from the position of FIGS. 9 and 10 to that of FIG. 11, and with the clutch disengaged, the abutment 152 is depressed against the force of spring 154 by the flat 140. Accordingly, reengagement of the clutch can be effected anywhere in the range of movement of the valve disc, so it matters not that the latter might have been moved toward off into a location where the apertures 113 on drive yoke 112 are quite near the positions they occupy in the off position of the valve.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. In it the abutment is a resilient depressible one indicated as a whole by reference character 166 mounted on a flattened (as by milling) region 167 on the stem. It includes a first leg portion 168 extending through stem portion 93 and fixedly secured to it as by a press fit. It includes an intermediate upwardly and rearwardly extending portion 170 from which depends an abutment 172 projecting into an opening 174 in the stem and of sutficient depth to receive the entire abutment so that the latter can be depressed into it by the flat on portion 144 of the housing during movement toward olf position and with the clutch 92 disengaged.

Reviewing briefly the operation of the valve, it will be assumed first that the valve is in its ofi position as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. At this time, the locking flats 140 and 142 are in abutting relation to each other and drive washer 102 is fully coupled to the drive yoke 112 and abutment 152 is in its extended position, all as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

In order to unlock the valve, the valve handle and stem assembly are pushed inwardly to the position illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. The inward movement is limited by abutments 144 and .152 so that declutching does not take place. However, the flats 140 and 1-42 are moved out of abutting relationship and fiat 140 bears against the circular outer portion of the stem portion 93 so that the valve handle, stem assembly and valve disc can be rotated.

Once unlocked, the valve handle and parts connected thereto can be turned. After the abutment 152 has been turned to be angularly displaced from abutment 144, the valve handle can be pushed inwardly to effect declutching by movement of the drive fingers 108' out of the apertures 113 in the drive yoke. Once declutching is effected, the thermostat can be adjusted as desired with the valve disc disposed anywhere in the range between the declutching point and the high or full on position of the valve disc. Thereafter, the temperature adjustment can be effected as desired.

To return the valve to off position, the valve handle is turned back toward off until the drive fingers 108 are moved into the apertures 1-13 by the action of the spring 132. Thereafter all of the parts move in unison.

During adjustment of the thermostatic valve while the clutch is disengaged, it may happen that the valve disc 28 will be moved toward oif so that the apertures 113 will be located so close to off position that the abutment 152 will be in the angular range of abutment '144 in order to engage the clutch. In order to permit movement of the abutment 152 and stem means into this range, the abutment is made depressible by the flat 140, as shown in FIG. 11. Accordingly, reengagement of the clutch is possible under all circumstances. The operation is the Same with abutment 166 as with abutment 152.

While the present'invention has been described in connection with the details of an illustrative embodiment, it should be understood that these details are not intended to be limitative of the invention, except insofar as set forth in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A locking type thermostatic gas valve, including in combination, a rotatable controlelement, a housing for said element, valve stem means extending into said housing and being rotatable and axially movable relative to said housing, means including normally engaged clutch means disengageable upon predetermined axial movement of said stem means and interconnecting the latter and the element whereby said element can be rotated, means for locking said stem means against rotation including a flat of short axial length on said stem means and a flat on said housing abutting against the first mentioned flat, said flats being movable out of abutting relation upon axial movement of the stem means after which the latter can be rotated, and means including an efiectively radially resilient abutment on said stem means and cooperating abutment structure on said housing engageable by said resilient abutment and requiring rotation of said stem means through a predetermined angular distance before said stem means can be moved axially a suificient distance to disengage said clutch means.

2. A gas valve, including in combination, a rotatable control element, a housing for said element, valve stem means extending into said housing and being rotatable and axially movable relative to said housing, means including normally engaged clutch means disengageable upon predetermined axial movement of said stem means and interconnecting the latter and the element whereby said element can be rotated, and means including an eifectively radially resilient abutment on said stem means and cooperating abutment structure on said housing engageable by said resilient abutment and requiring rotation of said stem means through a predetermined angular distance before said stem means can be moved axially a sufiicient distance to disengage said clutch means. 7 v

3. A locking type gas valve, including in combination,

a rotatable control element, a housing for said element, valve stem means extending into said housing and being vrotatable and axially movable relative to said housing,

means including normally engaged clutch means disengageable upon predetermined axial movement of said stem means and interconnecting the latter and the element whereby said element can be rotated, 'means for locking said stem means against rotation including a fiat of short axial length on said stem means and a flat on said housing abutting against the first mentioned flat, said flats being movable out of abutting relation upon axial movement of the stem means after which the latter can be rotated,

' and means including an effectively radially resilient abutment on said stem means and cooperating abutment structure on said housing including structure on said housing defining said flat on said housing and engageable by said resilient abutment and requiring rotation of said stem means through a predetermined angular distance before said stem means can be moved axially a suflicient distance to disengage said clutch means.

4. A locking type thermostatic gas valve, including'in combination, a rotatable control element, a housing for said element, valve stem means extending into said housing and being rotatable and axially movable relative to said housing means including normally engaged clutch means disengageable upon predetermined axial movement of said stem means and interconnecting the latter and the element whereby said element can be rotated, means for locking said stem means against rotation'including a flat of short axial length on said stem means and a flat on said housing abutting against the first mentioned flat, said flats being movable'out of abutting relation upon axial move- I ment of the stem means after which the latter can be rotated, and means including an effectively radially depressible abutment on said stem means and abutment structure on .said housing cooperating therewith and engageable by said depressible abutment and requiring rotation of said stem means through a predetermined angular distance before said stem means can be moved axially a sufficient distance to disengage said clutch means.

5. A gas valve, including in combination, a rotatable control element, a housing for said element, valve stem means extending into said housing and being rotatable and axially movable relative to said housing, means including normally engaged clutch means disengageable upon predetermined axial movement of said stem means and interconnecting the latter and the element whereby said element can be rotated, and means including an eifectively radially depressible abutment on said stem means and abutment structure on said housing cooperating therewith and engageable by said depressible abutment and-requiring rotation of said stem means through a predetermined angular distance before said stem means can be moved axially a suflicient distance to disengage said clutch means.

6. A gas valve, including in combination, a rotatable gas flow controlling element movable between off and on positions, an adjustable thermostatic valve, manually operable means for rotating said element and adjusting said thermostatic valve, disengageable clutch means operatively connecting said manually operable means to said element, said manually operable means being rotatable to move said element and adjust said thermostatic valve, and being axially a sufiicient distance movable to'disengage said clutch means, and means including cooperating abutment structures on said valve and manually operable means requiring rotation of said means through a predetermined angular range when moving from off toward on position before said means can be moved axially to disengage said clutch means and permitting movement of said means toward off position in said range in axial position to disengage said clutch means, the abutment structure on said manually operable means being a resilient radially movable structure engageable with the abutment structure on the valve to prevent clutch disengaging axial movement of the manually operable means in said range and being depressible by the abutment structure on the valve in clutch disengaged condition in said range.

7. A locking type gas valve, including in combination, a rotatable gas flow controlling element movable between off and on positions, an adjustable thermostatic valve, manually operable means for rotating said element and adjusting said thermostatic valve, disengageable clutch means operatively connecting said manually operable means to said element, said manually operable means being rotatable to move said element and adjust said ther mostatic valve, and being axially a sufiicient distancemovable to disengage said clutch means, and means including cooperating abutment structures on said valve and manually operable means requiring rotation of said means through a predetermined angular range when moving from oil toward on position before said means can be moved axially to disengage said clutch means and permitting movement of said means toward off position in said range in axial position to disengage said clutch means, the abutment structure on said manually operable means being a spring biased radially movable element engageable with the abutment structure on the valve to prevent clutch disengaging axial movement of the manually operable means in said range and being depressible by the abutment structure on the valve in clutch disengaged condition in said range.

Lamar Oct. 9, 1956 Winslow Mar. 11, 1958 

